1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to telecommunications. In particular, the invention is directed to methods and apparatus for transmitting messages containing multimedia information or content between mobile station communication terminals.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of short messages for effecting communication between mobile stations of wireless telecommunication networks has become extremely common among wireless network subscribers over the past several years. Each such short message can have a maximum length of up to 160 characters. The transmission of short messages does not require that the mobile station be switched on since, if the mobile station cannot be reached at the time that the short message is sent, the message is saved to the short message service centre. The short message service centre retains the saved message for a period of several days and, when the mobile station to which the message has been directed is activated within the access range of the mobile network, the saved message is then transmitted to the activated mobile station. Such short messages may be transmitted either within the range or boundaries of the same cell or to other cells by means of the standard roaming features of mobile stations. Today these short messages are most typically, although not exclusively, transmitted in GSM (i.e. Global System for Mobile Communications) networks.
As is known, short messages may currently only be used for sending text-form, i.e. plaintext, messages. By virtue of the rapid development of technology, however, consumers will in the near future demand and be offered the ability to send and receive multimedia short messages consisting of a variety of different media components. But multimedia messages have not heretofore been standardized in any effective manner, so that whatever solutions are offered are likely to be operator and/or device-manufacturer specific. This will either in effect prevent the transmission of multimedia messages between the mobile stations of or serviced or supported by different system operators or manufacturers, or alternatively require the use of difficult and expensive implementations to enable such transmissions.